Printmaking at Gwernyfed High School
With a keen interest in practising my teaching skills, I volunteered at Gwernyfed High School, where I taught the 6th Form art students my two-part workshop in Lithino.
For the first workshop, we looked at the basics of Lithino and its history in Lithography. We talked about how oil and water don’t mix and how this is the basis of this printmaking process. We looked at some of Mary Dalton’s research and prints on her website. She developed this process, which was born out of her interest in developing ecological printmaking techniques. The environmental impact of art creation has long been a concern for many artists.
We moved into the practical part of the session, sanding the Lino for the Lithography mark-making mediums. The students used the right half of the plate to experiment with the Lithography ink and dipping pens, the Tusche ink and paint brushes, and then the Lithography crayons and rubbing ink. After the mark-making experimentation, the students used their inspiration on the other half of the plate. There was a whole host of ideas: landscapes, an abstract person, the night sky, a natural disaster scene, a car, and a comic illustration. I was delighted by the diversity of subjects and how the students had used mark-making to create such different effects. Once their creative drawings were complete, we left them to dry and then powdered and painted gum Arabic over the top to seal the plate for the etching process over the next couple of weeks.
When I returned two weeks later, the students were excited to begin the hand-printing process. The students cut the plates to separate the experimental marking-making from their creative work. We prepared the inking plates and talked about how different printing processes require a specific amount of ink and how, through sight, sound, and feel of the roller, we can establish if we have the right amount. Once the ink was ready, the students washed off the gum Arabic and began inking up the mark-making experimentation plates; they printed the plates using the back of spoons to create the pressure required to press the print. They all made several prints, and once they felt confident in the process, they washed off and printed their artist prints. I provided some lightweight Japanese papers in different shades so they could see the effect of varying the paper type. All the students produced impressive first Lithino prints, and I was delighted to have facilitated the workshops.
I learned a lot through this experience and spent some time reflecting on how I could improve the workshops and my own teaching. I’ve been invited back to teach the next cohort next year.